Joe Scarborough Chides Obama For Not Criticizing Jimmy Hoffa (VIDEO)

Joe Scarborough criticized President Obama for not explicitly rejecting controversial statements made by the president of the Teamsters union during a Labor Day rally.

Speaking on Tuesday's "Morning Joe," Scarborough said that Jimmy Hoffa's exhortation to a Detroit crowd to "take out" the "son-of-a-bitches" in the Tea Party "has to be embarrassing" to Obama, who spoke soon after (though he was not present during Hoffa's comment).

"I'm sure they called him out afterwards," Scarborough said sarcastically, knowing full well that the White House declined to comment on the remarks. Scarborough said this was evidence of hypocrisy on Obama's part.

"There seems to be a rule here," he said. "Don't say really mean things...unless you're a Democrat. Then it's ok. If you support me, you can say we're going to 'take people out.'"

The rest of the panel agreed with Scarborough, who, with the bit between his teeth, pressed his point. He said that, when right-wingers make controversial statements, "all the press joins in and it's just a big old party," but that there was "silence" over Hoffa's comments.

"This isn't about [Hoffa]," he said. "This is about the president of the United States. If he's going to go around lecturing us about civility, he's gotta hold his own people...to a higher standard."

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Comments

[Christine Shackleton]

03:19 PM on 09/08/2011

Would it rest Jimmy Hoffas mind to know that the [Boston] Tea Party , though seemingly singular have only a roughly scribbled set of aims and objectives as a defined group. As any good editor would know , the man who helped originate the party widely publicised this document to shows its agenda and said he knew little more. Is Jimmy following in his famous fathers footsteps. As I see it this Tea Party wont be raising any taxes on coffee in the near future , such is their power

[Christine Shackleton]

02:39 PM on 09/08/2011

Theolonius Monk and Jack Lemmon both did a time warp and supposedly were not of this earth and reappeared, but isnt this going a bit far . The elastic of the admiited time space warp about the earth must be just about missing a link -- or is this jimmy Hoffas son talking or around a car industry that is reasonably responding to a bail out by the USA taxpayer. perhaps we will be hearing from J Edgar Hoover tommorrow on the following weeks assaniation of JFK or the Port Authority kingpin and Rockefeller have decided not to build the Towers and if they do they wont use aluminium with the steel because that would make the Towers like the propeller rockets of moonrockets using aluminium dust or the following week these figures might use the usual world standard of pillars through the building instead of aworld first of no pillars and one wal with steel and aluminium. But all that has to come yet -- probably luike a tax on coffee instead of tea to boost the empty coffers -- "there is more money in Apples bank than the Treasury [said a treasury in the know guy]]

[cjus2473]

02:05 PM on 09/08/2011

Joe just laughed off the "lock and load" comments by the palin, bachmann, angle group during the elections, no one on his show were screaming at Perry for his comments to Bernake, but calling the tea party folks, who want to destroy a way of life for the middle class SOB's, well that just upsets joe's sensibility...poor thing...maybe the union folks needs to use NRA terms, or perry's new term - when asked about how he deal with gun control issues, and his cute comment was to "use both hands"...that might lighten up the mood on morning joe...so put targets on tea party folks, say if they come into a union town the folks will "lock and load and aim on them", and laugh when you say you'll make sure to use both hands on your gun when expressing your displeasure about them taking jobs...make the tea party and morning joe feel more at home....you betcha

[Nutcase]

09:15 AM on 09/08/2011

Perhaps he should watch some of his network's evening shows where they juxtaposed Hoffa's comments along with Bachmann's similar criticism, as well as her using the same words a year ago. I guess Joe just forgot to criticize Michele.

[Dave Price]

06:51 AM on 09/08/2011

Shame on the old school Republican Party for Not Criticizing the Tea-orrist Party AT ALL!

[Dandrea]

03:28 AM on 09/08/2011

That was a great speech with a powerful message about the importance of unions in America - the union movement created the growth of the middle class. Americans need to hear this after all the years unions were attacked . The attack was very effective as evidenced by their decline. Even workers got into the act. Yes, the Reps at been working steady getting rid of things that benefit the middle class.
So going back to fork tongue Joe, he went on this rant because he wants to bury this message.
They all sounded stupid especially Mika who must have gotten the word to tone down her "liberal " instincts she's been evidencing lately.

[Dave Price]

06:55 AM on 09/08/2011

your exactly right, Ever since this fake hell spawn of the Koch brothers and Alec showed thier true colors those colors are red from the blood of middle and working class families.. The Tea-orrist party has come out with a Laser site on the skulls of every person NOT in the top 2% and like the rabid dogs they act like, need put down.. put down by voting everyone of them out.. Germany had a small window in history to NOT have thier Nazi element in power, this is America's small window, lets not have such a disgusting page in history as that, we have enough ugly pages and Iraq is only one.

[Recalled]

09:24 PM on 09/07/2011

Mommy mommy Jimmy called me a bad name.

[snafu20]

07:22 PM on 09/07/2011

and what did you learn today. this guy sucks

[mrj53]

06:56 PM on 09/07/2011

"The rest of the panel agreed" with Joe. Wow! What a surprise! In a world of hosts having only sycophantic guests, Joe has gone and retired the belt. And STILL he talks over them. Even the always useless Barnacle...

[IcedTee63]

06:53 PM on 09/07/2011

Hey, here's a Headline for you, Joe Scarborough breathes Air...

I mean it's just a shocking as him attacking President Obama. I wonder if the folks over at MSNBC ever got Joe out of Emmit Smith's lap? Now that was disturbing...

[ContribToLib]

06:47 PM on 09/07/2011

Obama and the White House don't comment on the commentators - whether they be radio show hosts, rally speakers, or tv pundits. The White House isn't in the business of criticizing people from the private sector. End of story Joe.

[hearmeloudandclear]

07:48 PM on 09/07/2011

Contrib ToLib - Well said. Who does Joe think he is anyway - who gives wjhat this loud-talking head thinks. Big ego - big talk - empty chatter.

[Billar]

06:10 PM on 09/07/2011

Are the little cons perturbed at Hoffa's remark. Awwww get used to it baggerz.

[havingalaugh]

05:50 PM on 09/07/2011

How dare you Jimmy Hoffa. The term "Sons of Bitches" is sexist and incomplete. What about the female members of the Tea Party. Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann deserve reviling, as well. A more appropriate term would have been "Sons and Daughters of Bitches" or 'Bitches and their Offspring"

[cjus2473]

02:08 PM on 09/08/2011

lol

[Andrew Strasser]

07:58 PM on 09/14/2011

You forgot to mention Jackie Walorski....

[Dileas]

05:39 PM on 09/07/2011

Sure seems like Joe is ranting over things before he knows the whole story lately. Guess he doesn't think he owes it to his viewers to comment after doing some homework. Sad.

[PickOneTwoThree]

04:42 PM on 09/07/2011

Calm down Joe. Do you guys really not have anything important to talk about? How about JOBS?